This paper discusses current and future prospects for the application of human factors techniques in the assessment and development of safety-critical systems. It argues that HF issues are given insufficient priority within this context, considers reasons for this situation, and makes suggestions for developing the partnership between human factors and engineering.
The study of human factors has traditionally focused on human beings and how we interact with products, devices, procedures, work spaces, and the environments encountered at work and in daily living.2 Most individuals have encountered a product or piece of equipment or a work environment that leads to less than optimal human performance. If human strengths and limitations are not taken into account in the design process, devices can be confusing or difficult to use, unsafe, or inefficient. Work environments can be disruptive, stressful, and lead to unnecessary fatigue. For those who like comprehensive, formal definitions, consider the following, adapted from Chapanis and colleagues:3
an introduction to human factors engineering wickens ebook 14
Download File: https://9cunginngulne.blogspot.com/?vq=2vEqnv
Human factors research discovers and applies information about human behavior, abilities, limitations, and other characteristics to the design of tools, machines, systems, tasks, and jobs, and environments for productive, safe, comfortable, and effective human use.
Human factors research applies knowledge about human strengths and limitations to the design of interactive systems of people, equipment, and their environment to ensure their effectiveness, safety, and ease of use.
With a systems perspective, the focus is on the interactions or interdependencies among the components and not just the components themselves. Several investigators have proposed slightly different models of important interrelated system factors, but they all seem to start with individual tasks performed at the point of patient care and then progressively expand to encompass other factors at higher organizational levels. Table 1 shows the similarity among three of these models. In an examination of system factors in the radiation oncology therapy environment, Henriksen and colleagues4 examined the role of individual characteristics of providers (e.g., skills, knowledge, experience); the nature of the work performed (e.g., competing tasks, procedures/practices, patient load, complexity of treatment); the physical environment (e.g., lighting, noise, temperature, workplace layout, distractions); the human-system interfaces (e.g., equipment location, controls and displays, software, patient charts); the organizational/social environment (e.g., organizational climate, group norms, morale, communication); and management (e.g., staffing, organization structure, production schedule, resource availability, and commitment to quality). Vincent and colleagues5 also proposed a hierarchical framework of factors influencing clinical practice that included patient characteristics, task factors, individual (staff) factors, team factors, work environment, and organizational and management factors. Carayon and Smith6 proposed a work system model that is a collection of interacting subsystems made up of people (disciplines) performing tasks using various tools and technology within a physical environment in pursuit of organizational goals that serve as inputs to care processes and ultimately to outcomes for patients, providers, and the organization alike. The similarity among these independently derived models is quite striking, in that they are all sociotechnical system models involving technical, environmental, and social components.
There is a growing evidence base from health care architecture, interior design, and environmental and human factors engineering that supports the assertion that safety and quality of care can be designed into the physical construction of facilities. An extensive review by Ulrich and colleagues29 found more than 600 studies that demonstrated the impact of the design of the physical environment of hospitals on safety and quality outcomes for patients and staff. A diverse range of design improvements include better use of space for improved patient vigilance and reduced steps to the point of patient care; mistake proofing and forcing functions that preclude the initiation of potentially harmful actions; standardization of facility systems, equipment, and patient rooms; in-room placement of sinks for hand hygiene; single-bed rooms for reducing infections; better ventilation systems for pathogen control; improved patient handling, transport, and prevention of falls; HIT for quick and reliable access to patient information and enhanced medication safety; appropriate and adjustable lighting; noise reduction for lowering stress; simulation suites with sophisticated mannequins that enable performance mastery of critical skills; improved signage; use of affordances and natural mapping; and greater accommodation and sensitivity to the needs of families and visitors. Reiling and colleagues30 described the design and building of a new community hospital that illustrates the deployment of patient safety-driven design principles.
The complex and demanding clinical environment of nurses can be made a bit more understandable and easier in which to deliver care by accounting for a wide range of human factors concerns that directly and indirectly impact human performance. Human factors is the application of scientific knowledge about human strengths and limitations to the design of systems in the work environment to ensure safe and satisfying performance. A human factors framework such as that portrayed in Figure 1 helps us become aware of the salient components and their relationships that shape and influence the quality of care that is provided to patients. The concept of human error is a somewhat loaded term. Rather than falling into the trap of uncritically focusing on human error and searching for individuals to blame, a systems approach attempts to identify the contributing factors to substandard performance and find ways to better detect, recover from, or preclude problems that could result in harm to patients. Starting with the individual characteristics of providers such as their knowledge, skills, and sensory/physical capabilities, we examined a hierarchy of system factors, including the nature of the work performed, the physical environment, human-system interfaces, the organizational/social environment, management, and external factors. In our current fragmented health care system, where no single individual or entity is in charge, these multiple factors seem to be continuously misaligned and interact in a manner that leads to substandard care. These are the proverbial accidents in the system waiting to happen. Nurses serve in a critical role at the point of patient care; they are in an excellent position to not only identify the problems, but to help identify the problems-behind-the-problems. Nurses can actively practice the tenets of high-reliability organizations. It is recognized, of course, that nursing cannot address the system problems all on its own. Everyone who has a potential impact on patient care, no matter how remote (e.g., device manufacturers, administrators, nurse managers), needs to be mindful of the interdependent system factors that they play a role in shaping. Without a clear and strong nursing voice and an organizational climate that is conducive to candidly addressing system problems, efforts to improve patient safety and quality will fall short of their potential.
Health Care Comes Home lays the foundation for the integration of human health factors with the design and implementation of home health care devices, technologies, and practices. The book describes ways in which the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and federal housing agencies can collaborate to improve the quality of health care at home. It is also a valuable resource for residential health care providers and caregivers.
Discover the latest developments in ergonomics and human factors with the newest edition of this market leading reference In the newly revised Fifth Edition of Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics, Drs. Gavriel Salvendy and Waldemar Karwowski deliver a comprehensive exploration of workplace environment design, human-machine interfaces, and cutting-edge research on the reduction of health and safety risks. The editors have compiled practical material from an international team of leading experts in ergonomics and human factors that will benefit specialists in the area, as well as safety engineers and human-computer interaction specialists. The Handbook includes information culled from over 7500 sources and features brand new coverage in areas like artificial intelligence, social media, information technology and cybersecurity, and data analytics. Numerous case studies demonstrate the real-world application of the concepts and methods discussed within and showcase the extraordinary developments in the field since the publication of the Fourth Edition in 2012. Readers will also benefit from the inclusion of: A thorough introduction to the human factors function, including the discipline of human factors and ergonomics and human systems design and integration
An exploration of the fundamentals of human factors, including sensation and perception, selection and action control, information processing, and mental workload
Discussions of the design of equipment, tasks, jobs, and environments, including workplace design, task analysis and design, and training systems
An in-depth treatment of design for health, safety, and comfort, including low-back and upper extremity musculoskeletal disorders and the use of personal protective equipment
Perfect for ergonomics and human factors engineers at any level of their careers, Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics will also earn a place in the libraries of design engineers, applied psychologists, human-computer interaction specialists, engineering and technology managers, and safety professionals and industrial hygienists. About the Author Gavriel Salvendy, PhD, is University Distinguished Professor at the College of Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Central Florida, Founding President of the Academy of Science, Engineering, and Medicine of Florida, and a member of the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). He is also Professor Emeritus of Industrial Engineering at Purdue University and Chair Professor Emeritus and Founding Head of the Department of Industrial Engineering at Tsinghua University, Beijing, P.R. China. Waldemar Karwowski, PhD, is Pegasus Professor and Chairman of the Department of Industrial Engineering and Management Systems and Executive Director of the Institute for Advanced Systems Engineering at the University of Central Florida. He is a Past President of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society and a Past President of the International Ergonomics Association (IEA). He is the recipient of three Honorary Doctorates from three countries. Table of contents About the Editors ix
2ff7e9595c
Comments